Newbie - Help/Advice needed

boccy23

Hi all. I am newbie to the whole Tri scene and will be doing the Sprint Triathlon as my first one in June. I am really enjoying the whole training and getting fit / losing weight.
At present I am training and the last week has been as follows:
Thursday: 10KM run in 57mins
Friday: 1000m swim in Pool in 25 mins
Saturday: 7.5KM run in 45 mins
Sunday: Rest
Monday: 13KM cycle in 38mins on a MTB followed immediately by 4KM run in 22mins
Tuesday: 12KM on treadmill in 60mins
Wednesday: 1000m swim in Pool in 25 mins
Today: 5KM speed drills for 20mins. Free weights and exercise ball work.
I am hoping to complete and around 1hr 45mins would be a great achievement for me.
I know I need to vary my swimming training to include more variation as I am only swimming for strength at the moment. But that aside am I varying my training enough? Do I need to add in or take out anything?
I will have a new bike this weekend, a Felt Z85, and would like to reduce the cycle times.
Also, as a newbie, what gear is essential. I have a wet suit (used to surf before kids!), bike now sorted, elastic laces, creams for easy in/out. Do I need a Tri Suit?
Any advice / help would be much appreciated.

Jakester

Hi boccy23

Newby nutrition wise, I can help (check out http://www.jcknutritionists.com/ and check out my Fact Sheets - there is also 34 free places up for grabs (check out Forum posts)). Have a look.

Eat Smart

Firestarter

By the looks of things your running training seems fairly balanced, your swim needs some intensity, eg. some interval work.

100m (hard effort) 20 sec rest x 10

would be a good start, (reduce the 100m to 50m if you prefer........ or HTFU )

Also there dosnt seem to be alot of cycling going on (maybe due to only having MTB?). However youve got 8ish weeks to get some strength and endurance into your legs. I take it your sprint race is a 20km ride....

Start out with some steady 1hr rides increase to 1.5hr after a couple of weeks and start to introduce interval work, eg, sprinting between lamp posts, or even better get a turbo trainer, this will enable you to go super hard without getting run over by some blind lorry driver.

Your surfing wetsuit will be ok (thats what I used for my first OW swim many moons ago) but wont offer the same flexibilty in the shoulders as a tri specific, dont shell out yet, you might hate triathlon.

nivagh

I wouldn't be running so far in training for a sprint race - it will be a 5k run, so running for an hour at 12kph isn't going to help your race pace.
I'd swap that session for something faster of about 3k, and keep the bricks in.
Have fun!

ladieswotyacht

Hello,

I too am new to this, my first event is in June also, and I thought I might do okay, but now that I have read your training plan, I am worried that a Tri is way out of my league!

I'm well in to my running and just did my first half marathon which inspired me to branch out to a new challenge. I have bought a bike - a rather bling Bianchi one which is pretty rapid even with my elderly legs pedalling at it! (I am 34) And I have always been a fairly strong swimmer and I scuba dive so I'm pretty confident in the water...

What I need help with though, is to find a 12 week training plan which will prepare me for this Tri, without compromising my running mileage... by that - what I mean is that there are a lot of beginners plans which assume that you can't run more than a mile or two when I do around 6 on an easy day. I know that I need to work on my cycling (its been 20 years since I rode a push-bike although I managed an easy 15k the other evening) and swimming but I don't want to lose my running fitness in the process.

I also have lots of other questions about the transitions etc and it would be really helpful to find someone in my local area to train with, or just to pick their brains. I live in Southampton.

Any suggestions

Many Thanks, Janie x

huwd

Ignoring the training side I couldnt recommend some lube for the wetsuit (bodyglide or something similar). I find the chaffing much worse swimming compared with surfing

Im Spartacus

Bloody hell you 2 are like Olympians compared to the state I was in for my first Tri.

I wouldn't change too much, you are easily fit enough to do a sprint. I would concentrate on doing some bricks, (get used to running off the bike) and some and transition practise.

Good luck, you'll love it.

moonshine

Janie 'but now that I have read your training plan, I am worried that a Tri is way out of my league!'

Tri is most definitely not out of your league - take it from someone who started last year with a background in exactly nothing

What you may have to do is accept that you'll need to drop some of the running to fit in other elements - my training last year a week was time based rather than distance and around the tri's I did - Sprints

so 3 run sessions 30 mins, 3 swim sessions 30-45mins and 1 bike session 1.5hrs - ok didn't smash any land or water speed records but managed sprints between 1.30 and 1.45 - with a lot of help and support from the best virtual tri club ever (http://www.bcttt.com)

you've got a head start with the running and it all depends what distance tri you want to do - warning it can become seriously addictive Now done my first 10k and half marathon this year and entered a olympic distance and a middle distance - mad, completely mad

Go on give it a go

PS I've goy 10 years on you so you have absolutely no excuse

ladieswotyacht

Wow, thanks Moonshine! I didn't expect a response so soon

You have restored my faith and meanwhile, I have found the Southampton Tri Club online and joined that too. I am enjoying a training break with my parents over Easter and going to get stuck in when I go home later this week.

I like your suggested routine as well and I'm going to plan some sessions where I can get the transition a little smoother.

Thank you

Janie

md6

Janine, I don't think you will need to loose run fintess to be able to do tri - last year was my fisrt year and I found that i could run 2 or 3 days a week, but by turning one into a brick and swimming 2 days I could maintain (and improve) my run fitness will less running. I found that my long run was still increasing in distance but i was getting through it faster and easier. Throw in a few mile reps or tempo runs and you will see run fitness improve pretty easily from the benefits of the cross training that bike and swim give you.

boccy23

Hi all and Janine.

I am 39 (mid life crisis maybe) so at 34 it should be no problem.

I have changed over my training and have a new FELT Z85 bike so finding the training a lot better.

Any advice on transisitions would be appreciated.

Also, are Tri Suits needed?

jrhunt78

Speaking of 'Mid life Crisis' there was an article in the times a couple of weeks ago!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article7065354.ece

As for transitions - practice them the same as you train for the other 3 diciplines. It also depends what kit you have. Personally I lay out a hand towel next to my bike to stand on to roughly dry my feet whilst putting my helmet and glasses on. Then on with the socks (laced with talc) Socks is a personal thing, you may choose to go bare foot in your shoes/trainers. I also then put my cycling shoes on and run with my bike through transition wearing them. Again you may choose to do what the pros do and run bare foot and have your shoes already clipped in. Just ensure your helmet is the first/last thing to the fastened or you may be DQ'd.

Tri suits aren't essensial but certainly help. My first one last year I swam in a pair of lycra shorts (cycling shorts withou the padding and then pulled a pair of proper cycling shorts over the top for the bike and took them off for the run. I then bought a trisuit for my second and it saves a bit of faff in transition
You'll probably only save a minute or so with a trisuit so it's really a question of are you prepared to fork out £60-£90 for one. I'm guessing here but a good 40% of folk don't wear them so you'll not feel alone either way.

Another two pieces of kit well worth forking out for are bungee/elastic laces and a race belt - you'll be able to get both for a tenner.

Good luck

jonE

boccy23 wrote:

Hi all and Janine.

I am 39 (mid life crisis maybe) so at 34 it should be no problem.

I have changed over my training and have a new FELT Z85 bike so finding the training a lot better.

Any advice on transisitions would be appreciated.

Also, are Tri Suits needed?

Trisuits are ideal but definately not compulsory,race what you feel comfortable in,some people spend that extra few minutes slipping on cycling/running specific clothing because they may want to feel less conspicuous.Trisuits save time.

Advice on transitions,well there are some amongst the forum who would have you lay out you kit on a large tartan picnic blanket,taking up a large amount of space.
My advice would be to keep it simple.and have a practice in the garden.The main rule is not to touch your bike until you have put on your helmet and fastened the strap,otherwise it is a two minute penalty.
Each competitor will rack differently,so have a look around transition,some attach their bike shoes to the pedals and slip their feet in whilst riding.others do not.some may just use trainers for cycling and running,all personal preference.Just practice and get comfortable first.Best of luck.

jonE

ladieswotyacht wrote:

Wow, thanks Moonshine! I didn't expect a response so soon

You have restored my faith and meanwhile, I have found the Southampton Tri Club online and joined that too. I am enjoying a training break with my parents over Easter and going to get stuck in when I go home later this week.

I like your suggested routine as well and I'm going to plan some sessions where I can get the transition a little smoother.

Thank you

Janie

If you want to look at a few plans try
www.active.com


they have a large number of training plans,for just about everything.
best of luck